Apparatus, system and method for promoting apps to smart devices

1. A smart device adapted to promote new apps to an end user of the smart device, comprising: an electronic storage medium having processor-readable code embodied therein and storing an identification of promoted apps as received from a remote server; a communication interface; and a processor, coupled to the electronic storage medium and the communication interface for executing the processor-readable code that causes the smart device to: send, via the communication interface, a command to one or more other smart devices on a common local-area network as the smart device, the command instructing each of the one or more smart devices to provide installed app information to the smart device over the local-area network; receive, via the communication interface, the installed app information of one or more of the other smart devices; compare the received installed app information of each of the one or more other smart devices that provided installed app information to the smart device with the identification of promoted apps; determine one or more missing apps from the comparison of the identification of apps presently installed on the one or more other smart devices with the identification of promoted apps, the missing apps comprising one or more apps listed in the identification of promoted apps that are not present in one or more of the other smart devices; and provide a notification to one or more of the other smart devices indicating that one or more of the missing apps are available for installation on one or more of the other smart devices.

2. The smart device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the command instructing each of the one or more smart devices to provide installed app information to the smart device over the local-area network is caused to be automatically transmitted by the smart device in connection with a device discovery process performed by the smart device.

3. A method for promoting new apps to an end user of the smart device, comprising: receiving by a smart device from a remote server an identification of promoted apps; sending by the smart device a command to one or more other smart devices on a common local-area network as the smart device, the command instructing each of the one or more smart devices to provide installed app information to the smart device over the local-area network; receiving by the smart device the installed app information of one or more of the other smart devices; comparing by the smart device the received installed app information of each of the one or more other smart devices that provided installed app information to the smart device with the identification of promoted apps; determining by the smart device one or more missing apps from the comparison of the identification of apps presently installed on the one or more other smart devices with the identification of promoted apps, the missing apps comprising one or more apps listed in the identification of promoted apps that are not present in one or more of the other smart devices; and causing by the smart device a notification to be provided to one or more of the other smart devices indicating that one or more of the missing apps are available for installation on one or more of the other smart devices.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the command instructing each of the one or more smart devices to provide installed app information to the smart device over the local-area network is caused to be automatically transmitted by the smart device in connection with a device discovery process performed by the smart device.

5. A method for promoting new apps to an end user of the smart device, comprising: receiving by a smart device from a remote server an identification of promoted apps; sending by the smart device a command to one or more other smart devices on a common local-area network as the smart device, the command instructing each of the one or more smart devices to provide installed app information to the smart device over the local-area network; receiving by the smart device the installed app information of one or more of the other smart devices; comparing by the smart device the received installed app information of each of the one or more other smart devices that provided installed app information to the smart device with the identification of promoted apps; determining by the smart device one or more missing apps from the comparison of the identification of apps presently installed on the one or more other smart devices with the identification of promoted apps, the missing apps comprising one or more apps listed in the identification of promoted apps that are not present in one or more of the other smart devices; and causing by the smart device one or more of the missing apps to be automatically installed on one or more of the other smart devices.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the command instructing each of the one or more smart devices to provide installed app information to the smart device over the local-area network is caused to be automatically transmitted by the smart device in connection with a device discovery process performed by the smart device.